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Wendigos
The Wendigo are one of the tribes found in Werewolf: The Apocalypse. Considering themselves to be the purest of the Garou, the Wendigo seek to destroy the influence of Wyrm while preserving their old traditions. Introduction In the ancient days before the Wyrmbringers and their Garou allies, the Wyrmcomers, the Wendigo tribe was one of three that tended to the humans and wolves of the Pure Lands. The Uktena tribe was known as Older Brother, the shamans; the Croatan was Middle Brother, the leaders and diplomats, and the Wendigo was Younger Brother, the warriors. After the destruction of the Croatan, the Wendigo remained warriors, and they refused to yield in the face of the Wyrmbringers' invasion of the Pure Lands. They fought, fell back and fought again over the course of more than a century. In the end, the Wendigo were forced to retreat to their most remote caerns and wage war from there. Decades passed before the Wendigo and the Wyrmcomers met peacefully, and tensions still run high between them and tribes like the Fianna and Get of Fenris (for obvious reasons). The Wendigo were, and still are, a deeply traditional and spiritual tribe that holds fast to many rituals of their native blood and Garou heritage. They practice ritual purity before hunts, battles or other major undertakings, and seek aid from the spirits for many matters. They continue to seek some news about their lost brethren the Croatan. Some hardline Wendigo believe that they can drive the Wyrmbringers from the Pure Lands or wash the Wyrm-taint from the land with the Wyrmbringers' blood. This extremist view has been gaining in popularity as frustrations build in the tribe, and some talk of an alliance with like-minded Red Talons. Most take the view that defeating the Wyrm in all its forms should take precedence over choosing a particular breed of homid to dominate the continent. The Wendigo tribe takes its name from its totem, the winter cannibal spirit of North America. Wendigo teaches its children the power of the cold, cutting wind and stealth abilities, which they use to ambush the forces of the Wyrm (and, occasionally, trespassing Wyrmcomer Garou). History The Wendigo were originally one of the tribes that came from the Pure Ones. Of the three tribes, the Wendigo were known as "Younger Brother", and came to settle in northern North America. Sasquatch When the Tribe came into existence, Wendigo didn’t choose them. The Tribe was chosen by Sasquatch. At some point Sasquatch ceased to be the Tribe’s totem and Wendigo chose them. The reasons behind this are forever the fuel to many brawls among Wendigo. The truth behind the disappearance is, Sasquatch is Wendigo. Forever changed by the journey to the Pure Lands. Impergium and the War of Rage Both of these major events in the History of Garou were less severe in the Pure Lands. The Croatan convinced the Wendigo that Gaia would control the numbers of the humans. Like everything else, if the humans remembered their place, they never felt the claws of Wendigo. As for the Fera, if they didn’t stink of Wyrm or aid the enemies of Wendigo then they were allowed to live. Again the words of the level headed Croatan, helped us focus on other battles. Ancient Siberia During the Impergium, the Get of Fenris started culling the numbers of our kinfolk in Siberia. This lead to an all out war between the Get and Wendigo. The war has fueled many legends in Siberia and Russian Ghost stories. Neither side remembers how the war ended, most assume it ended with the Impergium. The Wendigo never forgot these transgressions in Siberia. The Loss of the Croatan The first major city in the pure lands was called Cahokia. The three brothers have never seen something like this and argued bitterly of what should be done about this great threat. The destruction of the city left the three brothers in a bitter rivalry, causing resentment and a withdrawal from each other. Because of this, the request for help with the Eater of Souls came too late. Moon bridges had been closed because of our anger. The Croatan learned that a great sacrifice was needed and quickly. They did not wait for the Uktena or the Wendigo. This forever shames us, and we will never let go of this regret. The West The West as the Wyrmbringers called it was the First People’s land for centuries. The first people watched for two hundred or more years as the lands east of the Mississippi were stolen from them. They watched these Wyrmbringers pour over the banks of the Mississippi eating up more and more of the lands; they knew something had to be done. They fought back, and we joined them. The Wyrmbringers call this the “Indian Wars”. Humans, wolves, Wyrmbringers, Wyrmcomers all fought until the lands were stained with blood and rank of Wyrm. The Wyrmcomers took caerns by force, not paying any attention to rites performed at those caerns for centuries. Because of this it is believed the Storm Eater was released. We were forced to work with our enemies to bring down this horrible beast. For the moment the Wyrmcomers were our allies. This of course didn’t last long, Wounded Knee proved that their thirst for the land made no such alliance possible. The First People lost hope after that battle and they scattered. The loss of the old ways broke their pride and broke our hearts. The 20th Century This is the century that the Weaver took hold of most lands and never looked back. Even the first people got swept up into this madness. A great Wyrm road was built for easy access to Alaska. Snowmobiles and great vehicles made access to the north easier. Stupid Wyrmbringers risked their lives to find the North Pole, even placing a stupid sign there for others to see. Mostly throughout the history of the Wyrmbringer and Wyrmcomer invasion, they left our lands to the North alone. Only the Get of Fenris could handle the northern conditions. They were too busy following blood in the south. Now with all this new Weaver tools the lands have been breeched. Nunavut In 1999, the territory of Nunavut was created under Aboriginal rule. Finally our kin have a land they can call their own. It gives us hope that other Wyrmbringer nations will follow suit. Many claim the land to be useless or unwanted, but we say an untainted piece of the Pure Lands is never useless Organization Camps Warpath When other Garou think of Wendigo this is what they see, these are the stereotypical Wendigo. They are angry, bitter, and willing to take the fight to the Whites and even to the Wyrmbringer Garou. They enjoyed their greatest size and power in the 1800’s as some of their more notable kin, such as Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, fought the White power. While they have shrunk in size in the recent years, there are a number of youngsters who tire of the elders’ hollow words of peace and cooperatively and willing join the camp’s ranks. In recent events, the rise in native owned casinos is a blow to many a Wendigo’s pride, and such nonsense is at the heart of many Warpath member’s Rage. They see the very concept as a disgrace and a sign of full submission to the Whites’ ways. The Warpath has not yet taken their battle to their own people, but some say it is only a matter of time The Sacred Hoop Preaching reverence of all spirits White or Red, this camp was came to power and has fought for prominence in the Wendigo tribe in a manner that has left neither the Sacred Hoop, nor the Warpath, as the clear winners since the 60’s. They are the ones who have invited Whites to drum circles, and written books on powwows and other aspect of Native American culture. They worked to exploit the New Age interest in native cultures and shamanism, to bring about a better understanding of their kin and the ways that still hold true to the Earth Mother. As more and more members of the tribe have become dissatisfied and impatient with their elders however, this camp’s membership has grown old and somewhat thin. The Secret Hoop This camp plays a delicate game based primarily on the reality of what would happen should the Whites be eradicated from the face of the Purelands. It’s not only something that might happen but something that several members of both the Warpath and Ghost Dance have been planning and articulating for over 500 years. Should any of their more radical plans come to fruition, the Wendigo would find themselves, as well as the Uktena, and perhaps the Red Talons and some of the more militant Black Furys, against the might of the entire Garou Nation. This battle would surely be the Wyrm’s greatest work yet and would only serve to drive the poison further into Gaia’s dying veins. So as long as the Warpath and the Ghost Dancers have existed, so have the Secret Hoop pulling the strings that are attached to individual Wendigo here and there as needed. They play primarily on the fact that the Warpath and the Ghost Dancers have always argued, and are ignorant to the initial reasons why and ignorant to how similar their goals truly are. It would be a great blow to the tribe and the Secret Hoop should the Warpath and Ghost Dancers ever figure out just how closely they have been played against each other all these years. Ghost Dancers This group has members in the Uktena tribe as well and serves to make the land whole and clean as it once was. However, their Uktena counterparts do tend to be more squeamish when it comes to actual direct conflict. This camp is based upon the dreams of Wovoka, a Paiute holy man who taught that by living by the ways of the Earth Mother and by dancing the Ghost Dance, a new world could be brought about. Wovoka’s dance did not bring about a new world but his dream lives on. Now however, they dance quite differently and work to rid the Purelands of the Whites through litigation and the Whites’ own law systems. Recently they beam with pride at their success in establishing the Indian Nation of Nunavut, given to the native people by the Canadian government, as well as Nunavut’s place in Canada’s parliamentary government Tribal Culture The Wendigo are among the best of Garou warriors, skilled at tracking and silent ambush. They direct as much of their power as they can against the Wyrm, and for many Wendigo, that includes the European Garou, whose influence ultimately resulted in the destruction of the Croatan. All Wendigo are descended from Native American peoples and wild wolves, and their Kinfolk are the same. Political Culture The Wendigo limit their ties to the other tribes as much as possible. Although they are still somewhat close to the Uktena, they also have allies among the Silent Striders and Red Talons, and a healthy respect for the Black Furies. While some Wendigo will ally themselves temporarily with European Garou, it will usually be short-term and with much distrust. They have a particular hatred directed at the Fianna, Get of Fenris, and Shadow Lords. Religious Culture Purity is held in the highest regard in the tribe. Practicioners will go to elaborate means to make Rites and rituals as pure as possible, and members will purify themselves before major and minor events ranging from war to hunts. Many Wendigo will also turn to spiritual means, such as journies into the Umbra to look for answers to their burning questions or quests. Version Differences References *WTA: Werewolf: The Apocalypse Revised Edition, p. 90-91